3rd Quarter 2015 Central Headlight is in the Mail

It is expected that the Third Quarter 2015 issue of Central Headlight will be mailed to all members in good standing during the first week of August. Please note that if you did not renew your membership for 2015, you are not on the mailing list.

The lead article, written by the late Douglas Preston, a highly respected rail historian, responds to an intriguing question raised in Central Headlight several years ago: Why would the New York Central engage in the costly track relocation project at Herkimer, New York while World War II was raging? The answer is fully disclosed in Doug’s carefully researched and nicely illustrated article.

Other articles in our August issue take us to three locations on the NYC that were “off the beaten path,” the St. Lawrence Division, the Auburn Road, and the Cincinnati Northern. What’s more, there’s a discussion about a J-1d Hudson that tried to masquerade as a J-3a; a look at some NYC artifacts that found their way to Cape Cod; a remembrance of a man who scratch-built beautiful models of NYC electric locomotives without any power tools, and a discussion of the manner in which NYC telegraph operators reported local weather conditions.

As you can see, there’s something for everyone in the Third Quarter issue of our magazine. If you’re not a member, get hold of some great late summer reading material.

Runaway rail car might have been tampered with before Utica Union Station crash

Photos and article from WKTV news bulletin.

Officials are investigating whether a parked rail car was tampered with when it was set in motion and careened through the city before causing structural damage at Utica’s Union Station.

Officials are investigating whether a parked rail car was tampered with when it was set in motion and careened through the city before causing structural damage at Utica’s Union Station.

“It appears the brake lever was released by someone, we’re not sure who, manually,” Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente said Tuesday evening. “It appears this was not something that just happened on its own.”

The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway car – which was carrying plastic pellets – was parked near the Burrstone Road bridge off the North-South Arterial.

Picente said once released, the train car’s momentum caused it to drive down the tracks, hit a car at the Schuyler Street intersection, and ultimately bump a display steam engine into Union Station.

Utica emergency units and engineers will be investigating Wednesday who caused the accident – and how the damage to Union Station will affect its structural integrity.

“That’s my main concern right now,” Picente said about an hour after the incident. “There’s so much structural damage, we’re concerned the tunnel area could fall down.”

The train struck the tower that supports the station’s pedestrian bridge near the tracks and broke off a large section of the station’s wall.

“If we pull the train out of there, the tunnel could collapse,” Picente said.

No one was in the stairway or surrounding areas of the crash site when the train collided, but one minor injury was reported on Schuyler Street near Dunkin’ Donuts when the train car struck a Remsen resident’s car.

Jake Palmer, 23, said he suffered a cut to his wrist when the rail car crashed into his 1992 Chevrolet Camaro.

“I was driving, going home, and then it was literally 10 feet in front of me,” he said. “All of a sudden the train hit me (and) I blacked out for a second. I was in shock. … I thought I was going to die. My airbag went off. I’m going to need stitches, but I’m OK, I’m alive.”

After the incident, emergency crews walked along the tracks from Union Station toward Schuyler Street to determine if any other damage or injuries may have occurred.

None had been reported as of press time.

Utica Department of Public Works crews created a makeshift bridge for passengers at Union Station for passengers on incoming trains to use early Tuesday evening.

The station didn’t have to cancel any trips, but arrangements were made to handle other trains scheduled to arrive.

Melanie Boyer, a spokeswoman for the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway confirmed the rail car had been traveling on that company’s line, which also connects to CSX lines in the area.

She said the incident was “under investigation,” and that the car did not contain any hazardous materials.

The future of the Adirondack Scenic is in peril.

There is a movement underway to remove the railroad to convert the land between Old Forge and Lake Placid be converted to a “community-connected recreational trail”. The current usage of this area allows for snowmobiling, bicycling, jogging and walking in addition to providing a well used historic railroad that runs nearly 80 miles of seasonally used recreation for over 1 million tourists and outdoor enthusiasts.

This has become critical as the state is moving rapidly on this issue.

3rd Qtr. 2015 NYCentral Modeler

This edition brings you some very

interesting articles and some

new features.

Don’t miss “Kitbashing a NYC H-5 in HO-Scale” by Tom Bailey, Gordon Peterson’s “Port of NY & NJ Railroad”, with some fantastic O-scale modeling, “Fond Memories & My Favorite Diesel” by Dave Wheeler, “Drawing of Tower” by Dan Seligmann and “Saranac Branch of the NYC” by Dave Gallaway. From Japan, a wonderful article about “Kitbashing a NYC Style Tugboat” by Hitomi Okuno, and Seth Lakin tells us how to kitbash a “Grain Transfer Elevator and Truck”. Don’t miss another chapter in the forth article by Australian, David Howard, “NYC West Shore Part 4″. Manuel Duran-Duran and Larry Faulkner show us how they designed and built some of the TrainMaster, LLC. NYC Section Houses in HO-scale in their regular features, “The NYC Engineering Department” and “Harmon Files”.

And all of the regular features are there again for you to enjoy.

Be sure to tell all of our model railroading friends to join you in downloading the NYCentral Modeler or just enjoy reading it on your screen.

You have been asking us to help you find a way to carry your livestock and we have responded with some outstanding Westerfield Models resin kits for you.

Look at these!!!

Original

NYC (Single Deck, DS Ends,) CCC&StL or MC (Single Deck SS Ends,)

Modern

NYC (Single Deck, DS Ends) NYC or NELX (Single Deck, SS Ends)

Gothic

NYC (Single Deck, DS Ends) NYC (Single Deck, SS Ends)

WESTERFIELD MODELS, LLC. GOLDEN AGE LINE

Operating Era: 1921-1962. New York Central, Cleveland, Cincinati, Chicago & St. Louis, Michigan Central, National Equipment Leasing Corp. New York Central installed about 1,700 fishbelly underframe stock cars in 1921-3 which became the mainstay of their fleet for 30 years. MDT built 500 single and double deck cars with double sheathed ends and wood roofs in 1921. Another 500 cars were built by Haskell & Barker the same year. These included 100 single deck, single sheathed end, XLA roof cars each for CCC&StL and MCRR plus 300 double deck, SS end, XLA roof cars for NYC. Another 700 cars were rebuilt on 1910-built underframes at AC&F in 1923, very similar to the MDT cars. All cars received minor lettering changes in 1927. They were rebuilt beginning in 1937 when they received the System herald and 1926 ARA lettering. !00 cars were re-lettered to Northeast Livestock in 1939 and brought back to NYC in 1949. Cars were rebuilt with AB brakes and the H&B cars with wood roofs in the 1940s-50s. Cars repainted in 1955 and later received Gothic lettering. The last cars ran into 1962.

You Asked For It, and

Now We Deliver

After we launched the quest for a 19000 NYC wooden caboose almost two years ago you have responded by pre-ordering almost 900 of them. They are still in the production line and we will get them eventually.While we developed and waited for that model to be produced we entered into an agreement with American Model Builders to bring you an exclusive NYCS 19000 plywood caboose kit, and we have sold over 100 of them.

We continued to hear that you were pleased with these, but you also have been asking us about an NYCS bay window caboose. Well we are about to deliver for you. The company, Wright Trak, has agreed to resurrect their resin kit that they had offered several years ago. So we are now have released that Craftsman kit for you.

We have also asked Wright Trak to develop the decals for the kit and there are currently cigar band decals available from a supplier and Wright Trak and we are working with a new supplier to develop the NYC oval decals for the older lettering scheme. We have provided them the graphics for the decals. It appears that the graphics will be available in July. Both of those will be available as separate items. The caboose kits will be available in early July. The kit comes with trucks but no wheels or couplers as most modelers have different requirements for those. These are unpainted and do not include decals. Cigar band decals are available from Micro Scale at click here.

NYC oval decals will be available shortly from this store. Watch for an announcement and buyers will be notified by email when they are ready for sale. We estimate the end of June 2015.

Non-members price is $54.95.NYCSHS Members Price $46.70 and that is 15% off MSRP for members.

Non-members price is $29.95 for one of the NYC cars or $99.99 for the 4-pack of any of the listed roads.. NYCSHS Members Price $25.00 for one of the NYC cars or $80.00 for the 4-pack of any of the roads listed and that is big savings off MSRP for members.

2-Pack of Bluford Shops N-Scale P&LE

3-Bay Offset Side Hoppers

Pre-order now!! Shipping 4th Qtr. 2015.

Features: Accurate painting and lettering. Ready-to-run with magnetically operating knuckle couplers, Fox Valley Models metal wheels, and super-fine brake gear and slope sheet supports. (Coal loads included.)Car is not perfectly accurate. Minor compromises are 10-rib vs 9-rib and steps not completely accurate.Non-members price is $42.00 for pair. NYCSHS Members Price $37.62 for pair and that is 20% off MSRP for members and 9% off for non-members.

Shipping extra and Ohio residents must pay 8% Ohio sales tax.

Place a pre-order today with a $5.00 deposit to hold yours.

Pre-order yours today. Shipping 4th Quarter 2015.

N-Scale Peoria & Eastern 2-Bay Offset Hopper

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) developed a standard design for 50-ton and 70-ton twin offset open hopper cars starting in the late 1920s. The design was modified in the mid-1930s, and through 1960 over 127,000 cars had been built to the basic AAR specification. Nearly all major car builders of the time constructed cars of this 33’ interior length design, and some were even built at railroad home shops. (Atlas # 50 002 154-50 002 155)

Order yours today. Delivery 3rd Quarter 2015.

N-Scale NYC 40′ PS-1 Box Car

with 6′ Door

The 40’ Boxcar is widely known as one of the most popular freight cars used by railroads as they transitioned from steam to diesel. In particular the Pullman Standard or PS-1 design was one of the most popular and was widely used by North American railroads. These boxcars were built beginning in 1947 and share the same basic design, with certain elements such as door size, door style or roof type varying among the different railroads and production years. When production of these cars ceased in 1963, over 100,000 had been produced. (Atlas # 50 002 351-50 002 352)

Order yours today. Delivery 4th Quarter 2015.

You can always keep up-to-date with the latest shipping schedule on the NYCSHS website. Look for the “Model Shipping Schedule” tab under the “Modeling Resources” tab on the front page of the website. Click here to see the schedule.

2016 NYCSHS Convention in Itasca, IL

May 13th – May 15th 2016

NYCSHS Members (including family members) $179.00 each for all activities including the Saturday evening banquet Non-members can register at $179.00plus a fee of $39.00. The extra fee covers membership in the Society for one year, including all rights and benefits, along with one year of the Central Headlight.

Hotel Rooms are available at the Westin Chicago Northwest Hotel. Please call the Hotel directly at 1-888-627-8510. The Reserved Rooms Rate for the NYCSHS Convention are available until April 21, 2016. You must mention the NYCSHS Convention to receive the special rate. Early reservations are essential and are only available until April 21, 2016. The special rate is available for 3 days prior and 3 days after the Convention. Reservations will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis. Don’t delay. You are responsible for making your own hotel reservations. They are not included in this registration for the Convention.